Guidance Department

Charlie Koch - Guidance Counselor

Before coming to Baxter, Charlie spent five years as a counselor with the Youth Building Alternatives program in Portland. Previous to that, he worked as a school-based counselor in Bath.

He has a BA in Sociology from Trinity College in Hartford, CT and an MS in Counseling from the University of Southern Maine.

Charlie has always enjoyed working in non-traditional educational settings, including experiential and outdoor education, as well as at an alternative high school. He believes strongly that everybody can learn but we all learn in different ways. Education should be student-centered, student-driven and supported by the school community. Teaching a student how to learn is as important as what they learn.

Fun facts about Charlie. He likes cooking, baking, woodworking, old motorcycles, and biking. He once spent a month biking around Nova Scotia.  He lives in Portland with his wife, two kids, two cats, and a dog.

Laurie Medeiros - Guidance Counselor

Ms. Medeiros comes to Baxter from Gray-New Gloucester HIgh School where she was the director of guidance. She earned her M.S. in Counseling at the University of Southern Maine and her B.A. in Theatre and Creative Writing at Hampshire College.

Ms. Medeiros was drawn to Baxter’s student-centered approach to learning: “I believe students learn the most when they feel a sense of ownership around their learning. When students can identify their own interests and then find the support and resources they need to purse them, they are well on their way to creating the most challenging, engaging, and rewarding academic careers. The skills they learn in doing this are essential outside of high school, as well, and become the foundation of lifelong learning and growth. I'm delighted to be at Baxter and seeing that process play out for our students every day!“

Ms. Medeiros has a strong knowledge of proficiency-based curriculum and presented her work at the Maine Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Her experience includes work as a Civil Rights Team Leader and counselor for at risk students. “Helping students in transition - whether into or out of high school, or in other moments of their lives - is a major part of being a school counselor and is something I love to do,” Ms. Medeiros says. “ I think young people are best served by helping them help themselves so they can develop the skills they need to enjoy and be successful in school, on the job, or anywhere in their lives. I am constantly amazed by the unique strengths each student has, and am honored to be a part of helping them grow.”

Fun Fact: Ms. Medeiros is a playwright in her spare time, and enjoys having her plays produced and participating in the vibrant local theater community. At Hampshire College as an undergraduate she created my own program of study, which culminated in a full-length play about Benjamin Rush, one of the founders of American psychiatry.